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Newmarket Guineas Festival 2005

Newmarket Guineas Meeting 2004

Attraction lands Guineas
Attraction made all the running to win the UltimateBet.com 1000 Guineas at Newmarket for the North.

Trained in Middleham by Mark Johnston and ridden by Kevin Darley, the 11-2 shot maintained her unbeaten record to take the fillies' Classic.

She held the late surge of Godolphin's Sundrop (16-1) by half a length, with Hathrah (6-1) another half a length away in third.

Smartly away, Attraction led the field in the centre of the course with Carry On Katie for company and Spotlight racing alone on the stands side.

Carry On Katie was the first to give way over two furlongs out as Hathrah and Silca's Gift put in their glory bids.

But Attraction soon had their measure, while Sundrop's challenge came too late.

It was a superb training performance by Johnston as the filly had not raced for 10 months.

She was sidelined with a pedal bone injury after the last of her five victories as a two-year-old last July.

Darley, celebrating his second Classic success after Bollin Eric in the 2002 St Leger, said: "She's an incredible filly. Mark said to make it uncomplicated and let her bowl along.

" When she got to the front she pricked her ears, and when I gave her a kick in the belly she picked up and kept going.

" She was so relaxed. I was trying to keep her focused and running straight, and she's a good filly."

A jubilant Johnston added: "That was fantastic, absolutely fantastic. It's unbelievable really."

The trainer, whose other Classic success came with Mister Baileys in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket 10 years ago, went on: "I said this morning that she was probably the best chance I've ever had in a Guineas, including Mister Baileys, and I was pretty confident about him on the day of the race.

" Attraction was the one with all the form. All she had to do was to stay - and she stayed the trip well."

Winning owner the Duke of Roxburghe said: "I thought she wasn't going to get home. She hit the front - was she going to stay, was she not, was she going to get swallowed up?

" She just got home. It was unbelievably exciting, a fantastic feeling.

" It was incredible for her to do that - she hasn't run for 10 months."